MUSCAT: For Oman, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has become familiar territory. For captain Jatinder Singh, however, this edition carries a meaning that goes far beyond qualification.
As Oman team prepares to depart on Thursday morning for Sri Lanka for a pre-World Cup camp followed by participation in their fourth Men’s T20 World Cup, co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India from February 7, Jatinder spoke with a sense of pride rooted in history and responsibility shaped by the present.
No Asian Associate nation has appeared more times on this stage, and Oman’s place among the game’s global contenders is no longer a novelty.
“This is a big moment of pride for Oman,” Jatinder said. “To play the World Cup for the fourth time, the maximum by an Asian Associate nation, means a lot to all of us.”
This will be Jatinder’s third T20 World Cup, having missed the previous edition, and his first as captain.
Leading the national side at the sport’s biggest event, he admitted, is a deeply personal honour.
“It is a huge honour to lead Oman,” said the 36-year-old batter. “Every World Cup is special, and to do this as captain is something I am really proud of.”
Nearly ten years after Oman’s famous debut victory over Ireland in 2016, Jatinder remains the lone survivor from that historic night in the North Indian city of Dharamsala. The memory still fuels him, particularly as Oman once again share a group with Ireland - along with former champions Australia, hosts Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe.
A World Cup of firsts
What sets this campaign apart is the scale of transition within the squad. Eleven players in the 15-member team will be making their T20 World Cup debut, a reality Jatinder viewed as an opportunity rather than a risk.
“It is a great feeling to lead a side where 11 players are playing their first World Cup,” he said. “For many of them, this is a huge moment in their careers.”
Inexperience, he felt, could actually ease the mental burden of the occasion. “The boys are hungry for success,” Jatinder said. “They may lack experience, but they will also carry less pressure of playing a World Cup. That freedom can help.”
Oman head into the tournament after a promising showing at the Asia Cup in Dubai in September last year, followed by their qualification in the Asia-EAP Qualifier at home in October and participation in the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup, before deciding their final 15.
Jatinder said the group now has the right blend. “We have skilful and experienced players, and overall the mindset of the team is in a good space,” he said.
Preparation, he stressed, has been intense and purposeful. “We trained very hard under chief coach Duleep Mendis and his deputy Sulakshan Kulkarni,” he said. “The support staff has been excellent, and we are really looking forward to the World Cup.”
Group B presents Oman with no margin for comfort, but Jatinder saw value in the challenge ahead. “We will get a good measure of ourselves playing against the heavyweights,” he said. “We are ready for that challenge.”
Facing teams like Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Ireland, all Test-playing nations is not something the captain shies away from. “It is a big opportunity to play against the best in the world and against far more experienced teams,” he said. “These are the matches you want to be part of.”
Oman’s T20 World Cup history includes just one win, achieved against Ireland on March 9, 2016. Jatinder, the only member of the current squad to have featured in that match, is keen to ensure the team’s story does not remain frozen in the past.
“This is our fourth World Cup, and the only win came way back in 2016,” he said. “We are eyeing our second win and more. We are charged up.”
The message within the camp, he added, is clear. “We are not going just to turn up and make numbers,” he said. “We are here on a mission.”
Only two players of the current squad - Mohammad Nadeem and Shakeel Ahmad - featured in the 2024 World Cup in West Indies, where Oman were also grouped with Australia.
Alongside Jatinder, Sufyan Mehmood brings additional World Cup experience from the 2016 squad in the current set-up.
As Oman prepare to open their campaign against Zimbabwe on February 9, Jatinder knows the responsibility that comes with being both captain and the team’s leading T20 international run-scorer. “For many of the boys, this is once in a lifetime,” he said. “We want to make it count.”
Oman head to Sri Lanka early to acclimatise to conditions and as part of their build-up will play two unofficial warm-up games against Canada (January 28) and USA (January 30).
Jatinder's Team Red will also feature in two official ICC warm-up games ahead of their opener on February 9. They will play their group mate Zimbabawe on February 3 and against Sri Lanka A on February 6.
Oman World Cup fixtures: February 9: vs Zimbabwe, Feb 12: vs Sri Lanka, Feb 14: Ireland, Feb 20: vs Australia.
